Tan See Leng
Singapore
“We are aware of the Singapore Workplace Report 2026, produced by the Singapore Institute of Directors and Gallup, and we are studying its findings.”
“The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation (Taskforce) actively reaches out to all retrenched local employees. In 2025, 77% of Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) were submitted at least seven days ahead of the employee's last working day and 73% of MRNs were submitted at least two weeks ahead.”
“From 2022 to 2025, vacancy rates for technical maintenance roles in the real estate services sector, which includes facilities management, have been lower than the overall job vacancy rate, except in 2025 (see Table 1).”
“The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) works with sector agencies to determine the courses which are required by the respective industries. The SWDA currently funds more than 100 courses, spanning a wide range of mental health-related fields.”
“In the first quarter of 2026, the profile of retrenched residents aged 50 to 59 was broadly similar to the profile of all retrenched residents, predominantly comprising professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and were mainly from wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial and insurance services and profession…”
“In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.”
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“Based on a fixed annual capitation rate achieved through risk pooling, the Primary Care Plan (PCP) provides employers with peace of mind, offering cost certainty while protecting against unexpected medical expenses. Migrant workers pay a small co-payment fee per consultation, but there is no cap on the number of times a worker can consult a doctor. PCP covers the cost of basic medication and also includes an annual basic health screening or medical examination for work pass issuance or renewal, basic laboratory tests and x-ray examination. This model of primary care allows doctors to intervene early and undertake preventive care and chronic disease management to enable more effective care and disease control, and lowers long-term healthcare cost for employers. On average, the monthly utilisation for care sought by migrant workers enrolled on PCP is about 12%. This means each worker would seek care through PCP one to two times a year, which is broadly in line with our projections at the start of the scheme. Utilisation can vary from month to month, for example when there are surges in acute respiratory infections. However, PCP is currently underutilised for annual basic health screening and chronic care management. Employers save at least 20% when compared to the total estimated annual cost of similar treatments and medical services at general practitioner clinics. In a National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health study published in September 2024, 88% of migrant workers expressed willingness to utilise PCP due to affordability and accessibility of its medical centres and in-dormitory clinics. The majority of migrant workers are satisfied with the services under PCP based on the surveys conducted.”
“We look forward to working closely with the National Trades Union Congress and industry partners via the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health, to explore more ways to raise awareness, prevent occupational health hazards and track post-diagnosis management and prevention.”
“To improve detection and strengthen prevention of occupational diseases, such as work-related musculoskeletal disorders, we will further raise awareness of occupational diseases among employers, employees, the medical community, and trade associations and chambers. For example, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Health to raise the medical community's awareness to detect and report occupational diseases. However, it is challenging to identify the origin of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, as the disorders develop over time and employers may attribute them to non-work-related sources. This notwithstanding, we will continue to track the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorder cases at workplaces and tailor our interventions for higher-risk sectors. We will also provide resources and guidelines to support employers and workers in adopting good ergonomic practices and technology solutions to mitigate work-related musculoskeletal disorder risks. This includes the Approved Codes of Practice for Manual Handling, Office Ergonomics and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Guidelines on Improving Ergonomics in the Workplace. The Total WSH Programme for companies also provides free ergonomics-related training to help workers better understand and prevent these disorders. Preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders requires collective ownership by employers and workers. Employers need to design proper work processes and provide mechanical aids and equipment; while workers need to exercise ownership in practising good ergonomics, such as adopting proper posture and correct lifting techniques.”
“We will work with relevant stakeholders to regularly review the effectiveness of these programmes and further enhance them as necessary.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) assesses the effectiveness of our mental well-being resources for companies in various ways. These include tracking the adoption of workplace mental well-being initiatives and employees' reported experience of work stress and burnout from work. We also seek feedback from industry and tripartite partners via the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council's Mental Well-being Committee that was set up to drive adoption of mental well-being practices at workplaces. In 2023, more than 90% of firms surveyed had implemented at least one mental well-being initiative. As part of the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being, MOM has worked with the WSH Council and the National Council of Social Services to roll out a wide range of resources that support companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in implementing mental well-being support systems at the workplace. Companies can use iWorkHealth, a free online assessment tool, to regularly monitor their employees' state of mental well-being and identify key workplace stressors. The Total WSH Programme provides companies with free access to intervention programmes, such as mental well-being workshops. As of February 2025, more than 28,000 employees have access to the mental well-being workshops under the Total WSH Programme. Companies can also participate in the Well-being Champions Network to exchange best practices and receive subsidised training on mental well-being support at the workplace. The network currently comprises over 700 individuals from 450 organisations, covering a total workforce size of 230,000 employees. As these programmes have been recently launched, MOM will continue to focus on promoting adoption and monitoring take-up by companies.”
“So, in this kind of very tight labour market, when you peg it at the qualifying salaries at the top one-third of the respective sector, we are not setting up a new forward projected qualifying salary. The way we set the benchmarks is based on the prevailing salary of the top one-third of local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and local associate professionals and technicians (APTs).”
“So, in this kind of very tight labour market, when you peg it at the qualifying salaries at the top one-third of the respective sector, we are not setting up a new forward projected qualifying salary. The way we set the benchmarks is based on the prevailing salary of the top one-third of the EP and S Pass holders. [Please refer to "Committee of Supply – Head S (Ministry of Manpower)", Official Report, 7 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 160, Budget section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Dr Tan See Leng circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to my clarifications during the Ministry of Manpower’s Committee of Supply debate at the Sitting of 7 March 2025. My clarifications should read as follows:”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) collects data on retrenched employees based on their residential status but not by their work pass type. From 2021 to 2023, an average of about 2,680 non-resident employees were retrenched each year. The majority of these employees worked in electronics manufacturing, information and communications and wholesale trade. Based on MOM's data, around nine in 10 eligible employees – those with at least two years of service – received a retrenchment benefit. Under the Tripartite Advisory for Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment (TAMEM), retrenchment should be the last resort. Employers should conduct retrenchment responsibly and sensitively, be objective in the selection process and treat all employees with respect, regardless of employee background. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices will engage employers if they do not abide by TAMEM.”
“I think that was the gist of it already, I have translated. I want to reassure: while we may not be able to guarantee the same outcomes for all Singaporeans, but we will certainly do our level best that Singaporeans, at every stage of their lives, at every stage of their careers will have the same opportunities to upskill, to train and to upgrade. [Applause.]”
“Yes, Sir. I wanted to reassure everyone, our economy grew significantly in the last decade. I have repeatedly spoken at length to this House and also, rebutted Mr Leong's allegations in terms of the statistics not being transparent. I want to use, perhaps, a Cantonese movie anecdote and I will translate. It goes like this. (In Cantonese): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] When I speak, you do not listen. When you listen, you do not understand. When you understand, you do not do it. When you do it, you do it wrong. When you do it wrong, you do not admit it. When you admit it, you do not change. When you change, you do not accept it. What then do you want me to do? (In English): I have done my best repeatedly to explain to him over and over again, but he still refuses to accept —”
“Sir, thank you for the permission to allow Minister Desmond Lee to respond on housing.”
“I will invite Minister Desmond Lee to respond to the clarification on housing.”
“I thank Mr Leong for his persistence, notwithstanding the fact that we went through quite a fair bit of exchange yesterday. I will cover some parts of his point just to put it to rest, hopefully once and for all, before I hand over to my colleague, Minister for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee, who will also talk about housing, in just a while. So, Mr Leong, please be patient. We are coming. To the Member's clarification about part-time work and that he thinks that many of them are underemployed, I have actually shown in my explanation yesterday that the statistics that we have on time-related underemployment are very, very low and, in fact, it has dropped. I do not have the statistics offhand, but please refer to the Hansard on what I said yesterday. It was quite clear. Since the Member persistently wants to keep harping on the division between foreign-born Singapore Citizens versus local-born Singapore Citizens, I just eyeballed the numbers, and I am happy to see what other statistics we can glean moving forward. But the majority, more than 63% of the increase over that period for the PMETs from 2014 to 2024 – more than 63% of that increase – is due to local-born Singapore Citizens. So, let me put that to rest once and for all. 12.15 pm Please do not forget that many, many of our naturalised Singaporeans, many of our Permanent Residents (PRs) are married to a local-born Singapore Citizen, and I really hope we should not keep harping on a "us versus them" mentality, because Singapore is a largely immigrant nation. We are all here because we love this country. My father, and I am pretty sure Mr Leong's father, also were not local-born Singapore Citizens. I benefited from here, just as he has, and we both want to do our best to serve our country.”
“I thank sister Wan Ling for her clarification. On how we decide on the list of countries to be included, we, like many, many other countries in the world, carefully regulate the profile of non-citizens for our beloved country, Singapore, including those who wish to work here. Our policy is shaped by our context. One constraint is that we are a small and very densely populated city state. And because of our constraints, we need to carefully, very delicately, balance infrastructure, security, social and economic considerations. Hence, MOM will never work in isolation. We constantly work closely, calibrating with other Ministries, other sector agencies to assess the suitability of new sources, taking into account the earlier considerations that I have elaborated on.”
“So, if you take off the unemployment rate of about 2.8%, let us say, take away the long-term unemployment rate of 0.7% or 0.8%, that 2% delta is actually churned within six months – these people find a new job, or they find something that fulfils their calling and they get on to a new career, perhaps to a new calling. So, I want to again emphasise today: does anyone think that we have an issue? Our issue is a very, very tight labour market. We have Mr Mark Lee here, our Nominated Member of Parliament, who has repeatedly called for the Government to help businesses. He is from the SBF. You could check with him after this debate to see how tight the situation is.”
“I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his clarification. My personal view, and I am not an economist, but I think he looks at it from a fairly theoretical and academic viewpoint. In reality, today we have a very tight labour market. I have repeatedly stated in this House that our businesses, our SMEs, our large local enterprises, these are owned and run by Singaporeans too. They have constantly harped on the fact that there are significant manpower constraints, resource constraints for them to grow and expand their business. 12.00 pm So, in this kind of very tight labour market, when you peg it at the qualifying salaries at the top one-third of the respective sector, we are not setting up a new forward projected qualifying salary. The way we set the benchmarks is based on the prevailing salary of the top one-third of the EP and S Pass holders. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 7 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 160, Correction By Written Statement section.] At those levels, what we have seen consistently – and this is real, the numbers, the statistics do not lie – over the last 10 years, I have stated, notwithstanding the fact that we have this qualifying salary, from 2014 to 2024, the number of EP and S Pass holders increased by 38,000. But over that same corresponding period, the number of residents holding PMET jobs increased by 382,000. This is a ratio of 1:10. I mean, that is our real experience. For the record, in June 2024, the unemployment rate for Singapore Citizens was 2.8%, which is amongst the lowest in the world. And our definition of unemployment is at that spot in time. If you look at our long-term unemployment, it is around about 0.7%, 0.8%. Long-term unemployment is defined as someone who is unemployed for more than six months.”
“We are very deliberate and very calibrated in terms of opening the Non-Traditional Source countries. We do not open it up in a very extensive manner. For a start, we extended it to Cambodia, Laos and Bhutan, because these are the countries that we do have very strong networks and also bilateral diplomatic ties with. I think the Senior Minister of State will cover the balance of your questions.”
“I thank Ms Jean See for her clarification. We have the Settling-In Programme. We are also socialising these Non-Traditional Source countries with many of the SMEs and also the business owners themselves. By widening it, we hope that they can assess for themselves these options. We constantly take in feedback. We work with different agencies, not just working in an insular fashion within MOM itself. We work with, of course, security agencies, for instance. We work with our economic agencies, of which I am Second Minister for Trade and Industry. We obviously work with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to assess the fit. Once they have buy-in from many of the business owners, the assessment is really up to the business owners to see whether they want to access the workforce from these Non-Traditional Source countries. When they are onboarded, before they come into Singapore to work, they come in at our onboarding centres. There is a Settling-In Programme and orientation. What we hope to do is to also be able to socialise them to some of the expectations, the cultural norms, the living conditions and most importantly, what their rights are, the necessary helplines, the social agencies that are available to help them. There will be an adjustment period. We will check on them. We have got different non-governmental organisations, including the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST), which is a separate initiative from MOM's Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) division, to engage them, to assess the feedback. If they run into problems, we will not hesitate to step in. So, broadly, the framework is there for them to access. At the same time, we are also very careful.”
“It is the collective feedback, working with all the different small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the ground, the general consensus is that once the workers have been here for quite some time, the skillsets, the experience that they have already gained, it would be a waste for them, after they reached a certain period or ceiling of maximum employment period, to leave the country. So, what we did after taking their feedback into their consideration, we raised the maximum employment age for Work Permit holders so that we can give these firms the flexibility to retain their more experienced, more skilled workers. Firms have the option and they are best placed for themselves to assess the benefits of retaining their more experienced workers against the potentially higher insurance costs that they may have to bear for these older workers. It is really their option. What we have done is to give them the breadth, the latitude and also the runway for them to assess what is in their own best interests. I hope that gives you that reassurance.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) chairman, Mr Desmond Choo, for raising the clarifications. Our S Pass qualifying salary is benchmarked to the top one third of our local associate professionals and technicians' (APTs') wages. It does not lead market wages, but it is actually adjusted in line with what the prevailing wage is. As I have shared extensively yesterday in my COS speech, we do this as we need to continue to raise productivity and not just have a case of just pure numbers coming in alone, but we do this to ensure our S Pass holders are of high quality. At the same time, we want to maintain a level playing field for our locals. MOM has taken into consideration and we have heard from various trade associations and chambers on the rising costs of manpower as well as their constraints in hiring. Therefore, even though we have earlier announced this two years in advance and even though we are going ahead with the third step increase, what we have done this time round is to moderate the increase to give businesses more time to adjust. So, the S Pass qualifying salary announced this year will only apply to new applications from 1 September this year, 2025, and renewal applications for passes expiring from next year, 1 September 2026. We have also said earlier on that we have announced this S Pass qualifying salary increase since COS 2022. This is 2025. We said that it is over three steps. This allows businesses the runway to plan ahead and to make the necessary adjustments. To the second point about why we raised the maximum employment age, we took in feedback, significantly, again, from the different business chambers, the different trade associations.”
“For members aged 55 and above, the Government currently pays 6% interest on the first $30,000 and 5% on the next $30,000 of combined CPF balances to help boost their retirement savings. Members who wish to take on some risks for potentially higher returns may also choose to invest their savings under the CPF Investment Scheme. We will regularly review our CPF policies as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans, to ensure that Singaporeans can continue to build up their retirement savings, with the Government providing targeted support especially to those who need it.”
“Over the last decade, the proportion of active Central Provident Fund (CPF) members who have set aside their cohort Basic Retirement Sum (BRS), at age 55, has improved from about five in 10 to more than seven in 10 today. We expect this number to increase to about eight in 10 in 2027. The improvement in the BRS attainment rate for CPF members is the result of many years of enhancements to the CPF system and our aim is to assure Singaporeans that as long as they work and contribute consistently to CPF, they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs. We recently made significant moves through the Forward Singapore exercise to strengthen support for retirement adequacy. From 2025, we have enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement scheme, the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme and the Silver Support Scheme. For members who need more help, the Government provides targeted support for their retirement needs. For example, we introduced the $9 billion Majulah Package in 2024 to provide Singapore Citizens born in 1973 or earlier with an additional boost for their retirement and healthcare savings. This included the Retirement Savings Bonus of up to $1,500, which was given to about 800,000 eligible seniors' CPF accounts in December 2024. CPF interest rates are pegged to returns of investments of comparable risk and duration in the market, with floor rates of 2.5% for the Ordinary Account and 4% for the Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts, to protect members from any downside risks. When interest rates were low, the Government continued to pay the floor rates; and when the pegged rates exceeded the floor rates, members have correspondingly earned the higher interest rates.”
“For businesses, we will support your transformation and talent development efforts to help you continue to thrive. This is a commitment by MOM to Singaporeans. The Government will work with employees and employers to build a better tomorrow. 7.30 pm (In English): In conclusion, Mr Chairman, today, the global order underpinning peace and prosperity has been upended in a matter of weeks. Supply chains are shifting. Technology is advancing rapidly. There is great uncertainty. But Singaporeans have the mettle and drive to navigate this turbulence and find new opportunities. We may be small, but we are nimble. We have never been defined by our limits, but by how we have responded to them and how we continue to respond to them. Through COVID-19, we have seen the adaptability and resilience of our businesses and workers even as we weathered crisis after crisis. In today’s world, the idea of a single job or rice bowl may no longer hold true, because change is not just constant, it is accelerating, and new challenges and disruptions will always emerge. But we can forge something stronger, and that is the resilience, adaptability and courage to take on whatever comes next. When one door closes, we will carve out a new path. If the ingredients change, we can master new recipes. We will walk with every Singaporean to help you journey through that change. We will help you realise your fullest potential, so long as you are willing to do so. While we may not be certain of what lies ahead of us, one thing is certain. The Government will never let you down. The Government, workers and businesses together, coming in unity, in unison – we will achieve a brighter future for Singapore and for Singaporeans. [Applause.]”
“The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has yet to encounter complaints of discrimination involving AI. Mr Chairman, I will say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As Confucius said, "At 30, I stood on my feet. At 40, I was no longer lost. And at 50, I knew what destiny is in store for me." Similarly, MOM will help Singaporeans achieve their career aspirations at every stage of life. For those new to the workforce or looking to switch careers, we will help unlock your career potential. For example, we have enhanced the CCPs to help more workers, including those in flexi-load jobs, upgrade their skills. If you are a working professional aiming to take your career to new heights, we will help you gain overseas work experience and expand your professional networks. To our senior workers, please be assured: we will support your continued employment and help meet your basic retirement needs. To support employers in hiring senior workers, we have extended the Senior Employment Credit. Next year, we will take the next step to raise CPF contribution rates for senior workers and extend the CPF Transition Offset. We are also helping Singaporeans accumulate retirement savings through the Majulah Package, Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, for greater assurance in their golden years. MOM also looks after low-wage workers. We enhanced Workfare Skills Support to support your upskilling. To support employers in raising your wages, we have also enhanced the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme. We will build a safe, inclusive workplaces and ensure fair competition between local and foreign workers.”
“We have improved our Workplace Safety and Health outcomes to be on par with developed countries, but we have to continue to stay vigilant. It is always a work in progress. Senior Minister of State Zaqy will share more. As our economic transformation speeds up, we hear concerns on workers' protection. We will embark on a review of the Employment Act with our tripartite partners to ensure that we continue to strike the right balance between protection for workers, but preserving, at the same time, flexibility for businesses. We thank Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Louis Ng for their suggestions on the Employment Act, which we will consider in our review and I think we will share more later this year. Ms Jean See asked about support for employees when companies undergo M&As. These companies must plan retrenchments and contract cessations fairly, based on objective and consistent criteria, following the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment. And to guide employers to strengthen their capabilities, we have built up an ecosystem of support through the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and SNEF. Mr Mark Lee suggested enhancing CCPs for employees redeployed after M&As. As I said in my Ministry of Trade and Industry COS speech, CCPs already offer substantial support for such workers, especially for mature workers, who may need more help during business transitions like mergers. Nonetheless, we will study this. We also thank Ms See on her points on the fair use of AI. Today, all employers must comply with Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, regardless of whether AI is used in their employment decisions.”
“From this year, eligible working seniors will receive the annual Earn and Save Bonus for as long as they work. And this is how the Government has enhanced Singaporeans' retirement adequacy, even as we study moves, such as the Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme, which Mr Louis Chua mentioned. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will share more on our initiatives to help seniors build their retirement savings and stay engaged in the workforce. It is also important that we foster fair and inclusive workplaces, so that all workers can share in the fruits of our growth. We will continue to uplift our lower-wage workers. To help them upskill for better jobs, we will enhance Workfare Skill Support. We will also enhance the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) to support employers in wage increases. Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad will share more. We want to foster inclusive workplaces where everyone can contribute, even with different work arrangements. We will enhance CCPs for the reskilling of mid-career new hires and employees on flexi-load jobs. For persons with disabilities, we have supported firms in making reasonable accommodations, including the Employment Support for Employers to hire Persons with Disabilities scheme and ongoing work on a Tripartite Advisory. We will also help them to build an adequate nest egg. In the Budget speech, the Prime Minister announced the expansion of the Match Retirement Savings Scheme to include Singaporeans with disabilities, regardless of age, so long as they meet certain criteria. And we will also continue to support the employment of ex-offenders. Minister of State Gan Siow Huang will share more.”
“We will help our seniors build up their retirement savings by taking the next step to raise senior worker CPF contribution rates in 2026. We will also, at the same time, extend the CPF Transition Offset for employers. Ms Sylvia Lim suggested changes to the CPF system, including increasing the amount that members can withdraw at age 55. I think she knows that this will reduce members' future monthly payouts when they might need it most. The current withdrawal rules strike a balance between members' immediate needs and ensuring sufficient retirement income for life. Property owners have the flexibility to set aside their Full Retirement Sum in property and cash to withdraw their retirement account savings above the Basic Retirement Sum. And members born from 1958 can also withdraw up to 20% of their retirement account savings when they turn 65. To Ms Sylvia Lim's other suggestion to require spousal consent for CPF nominations, our current approach, I have said that before, is aligned with that for wills. The distribution of one's assets is a personal decision. Requiring spousal consent would mean members are no longer free to choose who would receive their CPF savings upon their demise. We will continue reviewing our CPF policies to ensure relevance. We have made good progress in strengthening the retirement adequacy for Singaporeans through moves in the last two years. We have been raising the CPF monthly salary ceiling to keep pace with salaries. I have said earlier on, it will be raised further from $7,400 to $8,000 from 1 January 2026. We have also put up the Majulah Package where 1.6 million Singaporeans received the MediSave bonus in December 2024 and about 800,000 also received the Retirement Savings Bonus.”
“Those seeking admission to a secondary school based on merit and choice can also take part in the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans. The Singapore Leaders Network (SGLN), a leadership community established in 2022 to prepare Singaporeans for regional and global leadership roles, will provide end-to-end support for Singaporeans embarking on overseas stints. It will connect participants with in-market communities and provide guidance on housing and education matters through relevant agencies. Third, we will strengthen the ecosystem of our leadership communities. These are crucial for building professional networks and accessing career resources. As Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong mentioned, we will enhance SGLN to provide overseas transition support. We will scale-up networking programmes, mentorship opportunities and the flagship SGLN Fellowship programme for middle to senior Singaporean managers. We will share more details soon and I really encourage all aspiring Singaporean leaders to join the network. We will also foster cross-sector networking between SGLN and sectoral communities, like the Singapore Financial Leaders Network and the SG Digital Leadership Accelerator. As our population ages, we need to really be very forward-leaning on extending the productive longevity of seniors and strengthening retirement adequacy. So, we will help our senior workers to remain productive for as long as they wish to. We will launch a tripartite-led effort this year to co-develop ideas with citizens and businesses on enabling multi-stage careers for mature workers. As announced by the Prime Minister in his Budget speech, we will extend the Senior Employment Credit to continue supporting employers in hiring senior workers.”
“Today, we support companies to groom Singaporean talents through overseas postings and leadership milestone programmes. These programmes offered by agencies, such as Enterprise Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, cover a range of sectors and support both early-career professionals and mid-career leaders. We will double the collective capacity of these programmes from 400 participants a year to over 700. This will enable us to groom homegrown leaders, like Andrew Chia, the Head of Wealth and Retail Banking for Singapore, ASEAN and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank. Prior to his current role, MAS supported his posting to Jakarta as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia, as part of their International Postings Programme (iPOST). The invaluable experience prepared him for the current role overseeing the Singaporean franchise and eight other regional markets. Second, we will enhance overseas transition support for Singaporeans and their families. We know that moving overseas and back can be difficult for families, especially on housing and children's education. We will help to ease the transition. Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat owners with overseas postings during their minimum occupation period can approach HDB to explore flexibilities, such as deferring the minimum occupation period, if they have a clear and reasonable timeline to return to Singapore. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has measures to support families' education needs and preferences. Through the Assured School Placement scheme, MOE ensures that children of returning Singaporeans are guaranteed a place in a primary or secondary school with vacancies near their home.”
“I am happy to share them at the end of this debate and I hope that all of us, all of our fellow Singaporeans, will take full advantage of these programmes to broaden your career horizons. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring a fair level playing field. We will continue to promote fair employment practices and we will take firm actions against discriminatory hiring. That is how we pass the Workplace Fairness Legislation Bill a month and a half ago. For those facing setbacks, we have your back. From April this year, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will provide temporary financial support for involuntarily unemployed persons while they look for a job. And like I said, this is just a transitional support scheme. It sits on top of whatever social assistance schemes that you are already on. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will share how eligible individuals can qualify for payouts under the scheme. For Singaporeans aspiring to become corporate leaders, overseas exposure is crucial. Through the Forward SG exercise, the AfAs on Business Leadership Development (AfA-BLD) and on Business Competitiveness, businesses have highlighted constantly the need for Singaporean corporate leaders with global exposure and perspectives. As stated in the Forward SG report, we will do more to help Singaporeans stand out as leaders in their respective fields. Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Edward Chia will be glad to learn that we will redouble our efforts to groom the next generation of Singapore Global Leaders on three fronts. First, as announced by Prime Minister in his Budget speech, we will expand career development opportunities for Singaporean professionals.”
“The median starting salaries of our graduates are higher than other countries like the UK and Australia, even after adjusting for purchasing power parity. 7.15 pm More locals have secured PMET jobs in the last decade, with the proportion of our resident workforce in PMET jobs increasing from 54% to 64%. This corresponds to the share of tertiary-educated workers in the resident workforce, which increased from 51% to slightly over 60%, over the same period that we are comparing. If underemployment was widespread, the PMET share would be much lower than the share of tertiary-educated workers. The incidence of discouraged workers; that means workers who have given up searching for work, also declined from 0.4% in 2023 to 0.3% in 2024. Majority of these were seniors, whom we are now helping to upskill them for new job opportunities. I understand – I spend a lot of time talking about the data, but the data may not reassure those who are feeling anxious or who may have lived experiences, difficulties going through their livelihood, struggling to find roles, struggling to find purpose and meaning in life, or to find roles that match their expectations. Let me assure every fellow Singaporean, for those in this phase of your career journey, you are not alone. Let us help you. We have a wide range of programmes to help you stay up to date in the job market, for you to stay employed, for you to stay confident, for you to seize good job opportunities. That is the spirit behind our Career Health SG. So, we have a whole list of help schemes that are available. I put up a glossary just to help me, to remind myself as I am going through this speech. There are at least 34 of them.”
“The most common example, which Mr Leong also cited as proof of underemployment, are former PMETs – his example of a senior vice president of a bank who is now a private hire driver. However, we should be very careful about using anecdotal examples and extrapolating this. Only 1.1% of our resident workforce, or about 28,000 residents, are working primarily as private-hire car drivers. We did a survey, an MOM survey, and it shows 63% do so on a "preferred basis" and they shared that they enjoyed the flexibility and freedom the job provides, not because they cannot find permanent work. Similarly, a survey by Grab shows that more than 70% of their drivers have chosen to take up this work because of "flexibility of time". What about self-employed persons (SEPs)? MOM's latest survey shows that 94.1% of SEPs who did own account work as a primary form of their livelihood, for example, financial advisors, insurance agents, real estate agents, taxi drivers, private-hire car drivers, preferred such work arrangements. Among them are degree holders who willingly take on jobs that typically do not require a degree because either they found the current work meaningful, because it suits their needs, or maybe it gives them the flexibility that they want. On the other metrics that Mr Leong alluded to, the picture is also not the dire one that he has painted. Compared to other developed economies, our residents have one of the highest median incomes and labour force participation rates, and lowest unemployment rates. Incomes of residents have risen across all percentiles in the last decade. Residents earn one of the highest wages in the world, unlike in many other developed countries where wages have either stagnated or declined.”
“I want to share with everyone – I understand the anxieties and I empathise with the apprehensions that Singaporeans today have, that they feel in a rapidly changing world. As Mr Patrick Tay mentioned, the faster pace of economic transformation, all of this accelerated change may lead to mismatches between employers' needs and workers' aspirations. The underemployment that Mr Leong described earlier is referred to as skills-related underemployment, where individuals believe that their job does not fully utilise their skills. However, today, there is no internationally accepted way to measure this. I shared before – we are working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop such measurements. But this international collaborative process will take time. What we have and what we can measure objectively is time-related underemployment, which he talked about – the one-hour time rate. This is well-defined and an internationally accepted measure. This means, persons working part-time but willing and able to engage in additional work. Just to share with everyone, and for Mr Leong's consumption as well, Singapore's resident time-related underemployment rate is low and stable, averaging 3.1% over the past decade and it was at a low of 2.3% last year, in 2024. This is lower than many other developed economies like the United Kingdom (UK) and Finland. Some workers have personal reasons for taking on jobs that may not match their qualifications – reasons like passion, lifestyle goals or caregiving needs. We respect these choices and we want those who are underemployed voluntarily to have a range of jobs to choose from to suit their needs and their aspirations.”
“The OECD's Survey of Adult Skills found that Singaporeans' literacy skills declined as early as in their mid-30s. We must do more to pursue lifelong learning. In our Forward Singapore engagements, Singaporeans shared that they looked forward to new opportunities but were uncertain how to get there. Career Health SG is our commitment to empower Singaporeans to develop meaningful and resilient careers amidst economic changes. For instance, as mentioned in my Ministry of Trade and Industry COS speech, as we transition to a green economy, we are actively reskilling workers to take on new or redesigned green jobs through programmes like the CCP for Sustainability Professionals and the CCP for Future Energy and Chemical sector. Employers also have a big part to play in supporting their employees. An SBF survey showed 60% of large companies and less than half of SMEs provide their employees with training. We understand. I used to run a business before. When business is good, there is no time to train. When business is bad, there is no money to train. Employers may also be unsure how to guide employees in their career journey. That is why we have invested in a holistic set of initiatives to support Singaporeans' career health. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will elaborate on MOM's efforts to empower Singaporeans to build career health and strengthen support for employers. Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about underemployment in Singapore. Mr Leong has asserted, not for the first time, that underemployment is a severe problem – that it is increasingly difficult for Singaporeans to find jobs matching their skills and aspirations.”
“The Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme provides transitionary Work Permit and S Pass quota to firms contributing to Singapore's economic priorities. We will expand the eligible programmes and add a new pathway for firms that send locals on overseas exposure or leadership programmes. We will also extend the support period from two to three years. These changes will help us move towards a higher-quality Work Permit workforce. At the same time, we recognise there are essential roles that are difficult to automate and recruit locals for. We have been providing targeted flexibilities, such as for conservancy cleaning. Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo shared how the Ministry of Home Affairs is carefully augmenting the recruitment pool with foreigners for emergency medical services and auxiliary police officers, even as they maintain a strong local core. Ms Hazel Poa also suggested allocating more foreign workforce quota to firms with inclusive employment practices. Mr Mark Lee and Mr Zhulkarnian Abdul Rahim had made similar suggestions in Parliament previously. We will study this proposal carefully, given possible trade-offs with the key objectives of our foreign workforce levers to spur business transformation and encourage firms to hire locals. We are actively reviewing our Work Permit framework to drive transformation, while nuancing it to support different needs as our workforce changes. Updates will be shared in due course. Moving on to empowering our workers. Singaporeans have a world-class education and work ethic. As our economy transforms, we are well-poised to take advantage of new opportunities. However, formal education alone is not sufficient.”
“Previously, period of employment was capped at 14 to 26 years – causing firms to let go of experienced workers who could be at prime working age. We will also raise the maximum employment age of Work Permit Holders to align with the local retirement age, currently 63. With these changes, employers can retain experienced workers who are still able to contribute. Mr Jayakumar has worked at KTC Civil Engineering and Construction for 25 years, joining as an Assistant Foreman before rising the ranks to Foreman. With his wealth of experience, Mr Jayakumar mentors and trains newer workers, helps instill a strong culture of safety, and promotes best practices. KTC welcomes the removal of the maximum period of employment restrictions, which allows experienced workers like Mr Jayakumar to continue contributing to the company's productivity and delivery of projects. Second, we will expand the list of Non-Traditional Sources to include Laos, Cambodia and Bhutan, considering industry demand. This will allow firms to build a more skilled and resilient workforce. Third, we will expand the Non-Traditional Sources Occupation List (NTS-OL), to enable businesses in Services and Manufacturing to hire skilled workers from Non-Traditional Sources in more non-PMET occupations, in consultation with industry partners and unions. On top of that, we have included nearly all the manufacturing operator roles recommended by the AfA. We will also include heavy vehicle drivers and cooks. As NTS-OL workers must be paid at least $2,000, this will not undermine efforts to uplift locals in these occupations. Finally, we recognise companies need manpower support for transformation.”
“For the Financial Services sector, it will be raised from $3,650 to $3,800. Per usual, the qualifying salaries will increase with age. These changes will apply to new S Pass applications from 1 September 2025, and renewal applications expiring from 1 September 2026. The S Pass levy rate will also be standardised at $650 for all S Pass holders from 1 September 2025. We will continue to review the S Pass qualifying salary against the benchmark, given prevailing economic conditions. At the Work Permit level, numbers are at an all-time high, 17% above pre-COVID-19 levels. Sectors more reliant on Work Permit holders, such as Construction, Food Services and Accommodation, have experienced low or negative productivity growth over the last decade. You might have read – over 3,000 F&B outlets closed in 2024. But these closures were outpaced by almost 4,000 new openings, with a 4% increase in Work Permit holders. As Mr Fahmi urged, businesses need to reduce reliance on Work Permit holders by raising productivity and redesigning jobs for locals. Recognising this, the Alliance for Action (AfA) on Business Competitiveness made helpful recommendations to enable businesses to hire higher-skilled workers – and go for quality over quantity. Mr Mark Lee asked about the recommendation to allow cross-deployment of foreign workers across sectors. It is a complex issue – we need to balance the potential efficiencies against the risk of circumvention of our work pass controls. Having said that, we are studying this in consultation with industry partners and will update when ready. On the other recommendations, we will adopt them to enhance our Work Permit framework. First, we will remove the maximum period of employment restrictions for Work Permit holders.”
“I believe this is unnecessary, because when setting the qualifying salary, we already include CPF contributions in the local wage benchmarks. In salary terms, the playing field is actually quite fair. While the take-home pay of an EP holder may be higher because they do not contribute to CPF, this does not mean locals are paid less, because their CPF contributions go towards housing and retirement needs. Mr Patrick Tay asked for an update on how our EP framework incentivises businesses to develop a strong local core. We implemented COMPASS about a year and a half ago. About 30% of the current EP stock has passed through COMPASS and early results suggest that we are moving in the right direction. Firms more dependent on foreigners of a single nationality or foreigners in general will have to diversify their workforce or they have to hire more locals to pass COMPASS. Since COMPASS was introduced, the share of firms with higher dependence on foreigners of a single nationality has decreased by 7%, while the share of firms with higher dependence on foreigners generally has decreased by 15%. These firms also created 4,000 more PMET jobs for locals. 7.00 pm At the S Pass level, we will continue to raise the quality of our workforce and safeguard employment opportunities for local associate professionals and technicians (APTs). We have benchmarked the minimum cost of hiring for S Pass holders to the top one-third of local APT wages. To ease the transition, we phased out the increase in the S Pass qualifying salary over three steps. We announced it in 2022, and phased it out over three steps, in 2022, 2023 and 2025. In light of businesses' cost challenges, we have moderated the increase. The S Pass minimum qualifying salary will be raised from $3,150 to $3,300.”
“Global companies and foreigners also pay taxes that help fund Government spending on education, healthcare and housing. Our work pass framework is carefully managed to provide access to high-quality foreigners who support productive sectors and create good jobs for locals. Miss Rachel Ong and Mr Mohd Fahmi have asked for updates on this. The ONE Pass has continued to attract global talent who create opportunities in Singapore, and about 3,000 ONE Passes were issued in 2024. Beyond economic contributions, ONE Pass holders have contributed to the local community, mentoring local leaders and startups, volunteering with social organisations and collaborating with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Take Ms Savita Iyer, the chief financial officer for The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. She has worked across the globe and volunteers as a mentor with the Singapore Leaders Network Fellowship Programme, which prepares Singaporeans for regional and global leadership roles. One of her mentees is Ms Sueann Yeo, Head of APAC Private Wealth Client Relation, EQT Group. Ms Yeo feels empowered to have a female mentor who is a leader in her field and to apply her mentor's experience to her own leadership journey. At the EP level, we have finetuned our framework to ensure that EP holders complement our local workforce. The EP qualifying salary is benchmarked to the top one-third of the local PMET wages to ensure that EP holders are of high calibre. The minimum qualifying salary was increased from $5,000 to $5,600 on 1 January 2025 and there will be no further changes this year. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim suggested levelling the salaries for local and foreign workers through a CPF escrow.”
“Members of the House, our upskilling programmes, our investments in our local non-PMETs to upgrade to PMETs have borne fruit. In the Financial and Insurance Services, Professional Services and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sectors, EP and S Pass holders increased by 18,000. Resident PMETs increased by 172,000, again a 10-fold increase. As of 2024, there were three to six resident PMETs for every one EP or S Pass holder in these sectors. The same story holds, even if one compares only Singapore Citizens, or even local-born Singapore Citizens, to EP and S Pass holders. Resident data largely mirrors citizen data, because Singapore Citizens have consistently made up about 84% of the resident workforce. MOM has periodically released statistics and analyses on the employment outcomes of Singapore Citizens. Employment outcomes for Singapore Citizens have been favourable over the last decade. The labour force participation rate of Singapore Citizens has risen, making it one of the highest globally. This is ahead of cities in Japan, Finland and Germany. The unemployment rate of Singapore Citizens has remained stable and low over the decade and, internationally, Singapore has one of the lowest unemployment rates. We should never develop a "Singaporean only" mentality, because this would deprive us of talent needed to anchor global businesses that benefit Singaporeans. Foreign-owned firms comprise less than one-quarter of companies in Singapore, but they employ about one-third of resident workers, and about 60% of residents in high-paying jobs. Our own local enterprises have benefited from servicing multinational corporations (MNCs) and gaining global exposure.”
“Businesses have cited, continually so, manpower constraints as a key challenge. At the same time, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim shared that there is ground scepticism over the need for foreign talent. That scepticism is natural. When we see a foreigner, we think, "They are taking a job a Iocal could have had". But what is harder to see is that, without the access to foreigners, the company and its jobs may not even be in Singapore to begin with. The hard truth is that Singapore has a small domestic market and we have no natural resources. As Minister Mentor Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said, "If we do not attract, we do not welcome and we do not make talent feel comfortable in Singapore, we will not be a global city, and we will not count for much." So, it is very easy to use simplistic arguments to insinuate that it is a zero-sum game, that if you remove one foreigner, you get one more job for a local. Mr Leong shared that he is for an open economy and open society, and asked for facts to support this, to quell anti-immigration sentiments. Let me share the facts. I take note that he is trained in econometrics, he is a statistician. But please do not underestimate the power of the entire team of Government economists, scholars, Government statisticians who are monitoring this for many, many years and many, many decades, and have also understood the trends. They probably have a deeper depth of knowledge and understanding of the trends than probably you and I do. So, over the last decade, the number of EP and S Pass holders grew by 38,000. The last 10 years. Resident PMETs grew by 382,000, 10 times more. One in three of the increase in resident PMETs came from non-PMETs upgrading to higher-skilled PMET roles, with residents in their 30s to 50s forming the majority.”
“The NTUC's Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant was enhanced in 2024 to support training tied to business transformation. The take-up has been encouraging. As of December 2024, the CTC Grant has supported more than 400 transformation projects, benefiting over 7,000 workers. Take Ms Rachel Lee, a tax advisor at BDO Tax Advisory. Rachel used to spend many hours on manual tasks, like data collection and document preparation. Using the CTC Grant, BDO Tax Advisory introduced a centralised data platform with a smarter and faster workflow, automated data collection and validation. And this, therefore, allowed Rachel to focus on providing clients personalised support, improving business outcomes. As announced by the Prime Minister in his Budget speech, we will set aside around $200 million to scale up the grant and to extend it to 2028. How can educational institutions and employers collaborate to develop future-ready employees? Today, they can co-develop workforce training programmes customised to business needs. We will also expand the CTC Grant to fund employer-led training that provides workers formal certifications. The CTC Grant will provide enhanced support via course fee subsidies and absentee payroll. We thank Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Edward Chia for their suggestions to improve HR practices and standards. HR plays an important role in workforce transformation, not just to comply with employment legislation but also to uplift organisations' human capital. We will launch a Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development to raise HR standards and HR professionals' capabilities to contribute strategically to business and workforce outcomes. Let me now turn to our foreign workforce.”
“First, we will introduce a new SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant. This will bring together schemes administered by WSG and SSG, and simplify the application process. Companies can access a holistic suite of workforce development support via one application channel, for activities like job redesign, capability building and training. WSG will work with anchor programme partners to advise companies on suitable and sustainable solutions. Second, we will enhance support for job redesign. Currently, WSG provides funding support of up to 50%, capped at $30,000, for companies to engage pre-approved consultants on job redesign. Under the Workforce Development Grant, we will increase this to 70%. We will also review and raise the cap of $30,000. Some larger companies have begun identifying workers who may be impacted by AI and proactively reskilling them for new jobs. But other companies, especially SMEs, may need more support for job redesign to address disruptions like the impact of AI. We will expand the scope of coverage for job redesign expenses beyond consultancy services to include equipping line managers and HR with job redesign and change management skills in identifying workforce solutions and AI tools. We will share more details in due course. Third, the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit will be redesigned in 2026 to better support workforce transformation. We received feedback that the reimbursement model could better address companies' cash flow issues and be clearer as to which schemes the credits could be used for. With the redesigned scheme, eligible companies will get a fresh $10,000 of credits. Like an online wallet, companies can use the credits to offset out-of-pocket expenses on relevant workforce transformation programmes.”
“As Deputy Prime Minister Gan shared earlier on today in his Ministry of Trade and Industry COS speech, we will strengthen our connectivity to the world; we will help our local companies build new brands and new businesses; we will foster a pro-enterprise environment for growth in areas like advanced manufacturing, deep tech and the green economy. 6.45 pm People – their passion, ingenuity, skills – these are at the heart of this journey. MOM will build a workforce that is adaptable, innovative and diverse, helping Singapore thrive in a turbulent world. We have three priorities this year: (a) enabling businesses to transform; (b) empowering workers to build career health; and (c) fostering inclusive and safe workplaces. First, we will enable businesses to transform. Businesses understand this need, but they face a high-cost environment. Part of the increase in manpower cost has been necessary to uplift our lower-wage workers, and this is a priority in our country's social compact. We will alleviate businesses' short-term pressures while we drive and continue to drive long-term transformation. Second, we will empower workers to build their career health through different life stages even as our economy transforms. And third, we will foster fair, inclusive and safe workplaces. Let me start with how we are enabling businesses to transform. To stay competitive, companies need to transform their workforce in tandem with business improvements. We will set aside over $400 million for a new Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package. It will address the calls from Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Sharael Taha, Mr Edward Chia and Ms Jean See for more holistic and integrated support for enterprise workforce transformation, with three main features.”
“First, our demographic challenge. With our low fertility, our resident workforce is expected to stop growing by the next decade. Our population is also ageing. One in four Singaporeans are projected to be aged 65 and above by 2030. Second, intensifying global competition. Southeast Asia will benefit from a demographic dividend and we need to keep up as the rest of Southeast Asia grows. Cities, like New York, London and Dubai, they are attracting top companies and talent in fields like biotechnology and AI. Amidst these challenges, how can we continually grow the economic pie? How do we continue to create meaningful opportunities for Singaporeans? First, we have to continue to remain open to the world to stay competitive and to support our society's needs. In 2014, there were six working-age residents supporting each elderly resident aged 65 and above. In 2024, last year, this fell to 3.5. Foreign workers blunt this decline. Including them, the old age support ratio in 2024 rises from 3.5 to 5.2. But there are limits to growing through numbers. The only sustainable way forward is through productivity-driven growth. We have made good progress on our productivity journey. Supported by the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), labour productivity grew by around 2% per annum over the last decade. However, even so, Singapore's productivity remains at 40% to 70% of frontier economies. There is an exciting opportunity, and that is for us to reshape our economy into one that is driven by productivity and innovation. The global order has also changed dramatically in a matter of weeks. Singapore can stand out as a beacon of stability and as a beacon of openness, drawing in global talent, drawing in global companies.”
“We launched the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) for global talent; and the COMPASS for Employment Pass (EP) holders. We remained disciplined in our reliance on Work Permit holders to spur industry transformation. We supported businesses' transformation. Mr Sharael Taha asked how successful this has been. Since 2019, we have launched 17 Jobs Transformation Maps. Around 10,000 companies received support to train and to hire workers, and to redesign jobs through schemes, like the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs). We also launched the HR Industry Transformation Plan in 2023 to drive our workforce transformation. Finally, we built fairer, more inclusive and safer workplaces. We launched the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests and we built employer capabilities to better attract and retain talent in the workforce. This initiative could potentially unlock access to a sizeable group, with about 240,000 women and 130,000 seniors of working age, which is outside the labour force today. We passed the Workplace Fairness Bill to combat workplace discrimination. We improved the well-being and safety of migrant workers. We introduced primary care plans, we raised operating standards in dormitories, we improved service offerings at Recreation Centres and we attained a record low workplace fatality rate of 0.99 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2023. These achievements were only possible with the strong support of our tripartite partners, the NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). But the work goes on. With significant geopolitical and economic uncertainties ahead, we have projected a more cautious pace of GDP growth in 2025, at about 1% to 3%. In the longer term, two forces will make growth even harder to sustain.”
“The Part-Time Re-employment Grant helped more than 6,500 employers offer work opportunities to 50,000 mature workers. Second, we strengthened protection for vulnerable groups and helped Singaporeans save up for retirement. For those who lost their jobs involuntarily, we introduced the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme to provide temporary financial support while they look for a job. For lower-wage workers, we uplifted their wages. We expanded the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), we raised the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), we enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement to boost their incomes and CPF savings. Up to nine in 10 full-time, lower-wage workers are now covered by PWM, LQS and the Progressive Wage (PW) Mark. For platform workers, we strengthened their housing and retirement adequacy, their work injury compensation and representation. For persons with disabilities, we boosted their employment from 28% to 34% over the past five years. We strengthened the retirement adequacy of all Singaporeans. We introduced the $9 billion Majulah Package in 2024 and we expect to spend over $800 million on the enhanced Silver Support Scheme this year for 290,000 seniors. About 740,000 Singaporeans will be eligible for the enhanced Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS). We want to assure all Singaporeans that they can meet their basic retirement needs so long as they work and contribute consistently to CPF. We will also uplift those who are unable to, or lack the runway to work and save through CPF. Third, COVID-19 was a wake-up call for businesses to drive productivity and strengthen resilience. We refreshed, therefore, our work pass framework to enable this.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) Members of Parliament and Members who have spoken for our workers as well as our employers. It has been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, we managed to recover fairly quickly. During COVID-19, resident unemployment peaked at 4.8%. MOM's priority then was to protect livelihoods. Through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, we assisted more than 200,000 jobseekers. Now, resident unemployment is at 2.8%, amongst the lowest compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Against the backdrop of wars and supply chain disruptions, most countries, including Singapore, battled global inflation in recent years. For many Singaporeans, the pressures of rising cost of living were a real concern. We managed to cushion this through targeted support for households and income growth that kept pace with, and even exceeded inflation. Over the last five years, the median real monthly income of residents grew by 3.6%. For lower-wage workers, this was even higher at 5.9%. This means while prices have risen, our wages have increased more. We have done better than other advanced economies, such as the United Kingdom (UK), US and Japan, where real wages have stagnated or declined. Beyond recovering, we helped workers and businesses to emerge stronger. First, we supported Singaporeans across career stages. For working professionals in their 20s to 40s, we helped advance their careers. Our Career Conversion Programmes helped 37,000 workers reskill into growth jobs over the last five years. For mature workers in their 50s onwards, we helped them stay meaningfully employed.”
“For ammonia and hydrogen, I have also stated earlier on that hydrogen, at this point in time, even though it is a technically feasible pathway, the transportation of hydrogen, by itself, is very costly. So, we are using ammonia as a pilot. We have a pathfinder project where we are going to work with a couple of potential consortia to work out when it comes of scale, whether it would be a feasible and a commercially viable pathway. For the project, because it is very small, it is going to constitute like 0.5% of our overall energy mix. We are looking, as a pilot pathfinder, about between 50 to 60 megawatts. We will provide initial seed funding to assess the viability of that pathway. The sum of it all is that we have set aside the budget. Today, given the different thresholds that we have not arrived at yet, the drawdown from the FEF is still not there. But we have topped it up because we envisage that in the coming quarters ahead, once we cross certain key thresholds, the drawdown will happen.”
“I thank Mr Saktiandi for his clarification. For the renewable energy imports, I have shared that, given the progress that we have had in our negotiations with our neighbours, we have upped the ambition from four gigawatts to six gigawatts. And the interconnectors, for the landing sites, we have preliminarily identified some of the sites, the details of which I am not at liberty to reveal at this point in time. For the interconnectors, broadly, there are two types – the high voltage direct current, which entails significantly longer distance traversing the subsea distances. And then, you have the relatively less expensive alternating current type of subsea cable. So, depending on the site, the source of the generation of that renewable energy source, the appropriate type of cable would be utilised. At this particular point in time, the conditional licence that we have issued are for relatively closer source generation sources, namely, coming from the Batam, Bintan and Karimun corridor. The Member would have read in the open-source media that we have also awarded conditional approvals to further up north from Indochina and also, at the same time, potentially from Australia as well. Those would involve higher cost cable, involving high voltage direct current subsea cables. That covers one big part of renewable energy imports. On the carbon capture storage, we are still studying the model working with the S-Hub. Looking at the aggregation of the hard to abate carbon intensive sectors, this would be quite a fair bit of the petrochemical industry on Jurong Island. Looking at the transportation and, eventually, the storage of the carbon that we have captured, at this point in time, given the amounts that are involved, we are still working with some of the potential partners.”